We Really Want This One

We really want this one. Who am I referring to as “we?” I am referring to Who Dey Nation which is made up of every single Cincinnati Bengals fan. What am I referring to as “this one?” I am referring to the Bengals first round playoff game this weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Should the Bengals come away with a victory against the Steelers, a twenty-five year playoff win draught would come to an end and a curse that was seemingly placed on the Bengals by the Steelers a decade ago would finally be lifted.

This is the most “must win” Bengals game of my lifetime. I was born in 1992 so I missed both Super Bowl appearances and the last time the Bengals won in the postseason was during the 1990 NFL season. Since that win, the Bengals have gone through peaks and valleys with the lowest of the lows being the “Dark Ages” of the 1990s.

After that lost decade that made up the first eight years of my childhood, the Marvin Lewis era began in 2003, and the dark cloud that hung over Paul Brown Stadium began to dissipate. It seemed like rays of sunshine were finally beginning to illuminate the once dark and depressing home of the Bengals. In 2005, the team won the AFC North crown, and the horrible past of the Bengals was becoming a distant memory. A high-powered offense led by stars such as Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer seemed destined to lead the Bengals to the promised land. Bengals fever was at an all time high as the team hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2005 playoffs. All seemed right in the world. Then came a crushing sports injury that devastated the 13-year-old Bengals fan that was me a decade ago. Carson Palmer was tackled low and tore both his MCL and ACL and the dream season of the Bengals ended in nightmare fashion as the team lost the game and was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.

Unfortunately, the first round playoff exits continued as the New York Jets, the Houston Texans, the San Diego Chargers, and the Indianapolis Colts have all ended the postseason dreams of the Bengals in the first round. Every time the Bengals lost in the first round of the playoffs, the dark cloud that hung over Paul Brown Stadium became darker. Every first round playoff loss was a reminder of the curse that the Steelers placed on the Bengals ten years ago.

All of that can change this weekend. The Bengals are different this year. They have destroyed teams such as the Cleveland Browns and the St. Louis Rams and have grinded out wins against other teams like the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens. They finished the regular season with a record of 12-4 and won the AFC North title. Their four losses came against four teams who made the postseason and three out of those four games were nail biters that came down to the wire. Their one crushing defeat came at the hands of the Steelers, and it was due to the fact that Dalton suffered a thumb injury on the first Bengals offensive drive and did not play the rest of the game. 

This team is different. This team can shake the curse and finally win in the playoffs. It would be so fitting and so satisfying to end the curse by beating the team that placed the curse upon them. The Steelers are the most hated rival of the Bengals. This rivalry has grown immensely over the last few years, and the pure disdain between the two teams has escalated to a whole new level. The game this weekend will be a knockdown, drag out fight that will probably come down to the wire. Hopefully the Bengals will come away with the win and end the postseason draught and curse. A decade of suffering would finally come to an end. The gorilla that has been on the back of the Bengals for 25 years will finally be shaken off with a win. This is the most must-win Bengals game of my lifetime. Who Dey Nation really wants this one. Make it happen Bengals.

Who Dey!